One Step Away
by E'Lise25
Summary: Before Season Seven, what did Dawn and Buffy do all summer, and where was Spike? If you don't like S/Da you don't have to read it.


**Author: **E'Lise

**Title: **One Step Away

**Rating: ** PG-13 to R; at times a little worse than the show, but not that often since I can no longer write steamy sex scenes due to fanfiction's ban on NC-17 stories. Oh, I'm not bitter at all, I swear! Stinky bureaucratic blowhards who think they can...(a man dressed in a black suit slaps a "censored" sticker over E'Lise's mouth and motions for two other men to come drag her away to the 1950's where she will be imprisoned and forced to watch reruns of _I Love Lucy _until she is brainwashed).

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, ME and Joss are the PTB of all things related to _Buffy._ All I get are tingly feelings up my spine every time I look on the wonderment that is James Marsters, even if he is crazy this season.

**Spoilers: **Ummm, some of season six and possibly some of season seven, mostly this is going off in a whole other direction from the show, since it hasn't gotten as far as the show has yet. It may even have some stuff from old, old seasons, cuz I am in love with my _Buffy_ DVD collection.

**Feedback: **Yes, please! 

**A/N: **I know this is a taboo topic to some people, but I happen to like Spike/Dawn; she's old enough in my story to at least get smoochies. 

**One Step Away**

Dawn sped through the cemetery in pursuit of a vampire, Buffy seconds behind her. Leaping over headstones, she tackles the vampire to the ground and dusts him. Suddenly, there are ten inches between her and the earth and she lands hard on her stomach.

"Ooof!"

Dawn reaches a hand up to Buffy so her sister can pull her up. Standing, she wipes grass and vamp dust off her new jean jacket, a back to school present sent all the way from England by Willow.

"I will _never _get used to that!" Dawn declares vehemently. "I mean, how is it that I always wind up belly flopping on the grass? Tell me!" 

Buffy laughs out loud at Dawn and brushes some more grass out of her hair. 

"Well, if you wouldn't always tackle them like a linebacker..." Buffy smiles. Teaching Dawn how to slay hasn't been easy work, but training has brought them closer and they have been able to work out a lot of their issues.

"I like to throw my weight around," Dawn jokes as she pokes her sister in her concave stomach. "Are you hungry? 'Cause I'm starved."

"C'mon, let's get over to Xander's for pizza night. I'm sure he's wondering what's taking us so long." Buffy links her arm with Dawn's. They walk down the street arm in arm, laughter echoing behind them.

From an alleyway, haunted blue eyes follow them until they cannot be seen any longer. A gaunt figure steps out into the street, his shaking hand bringing a cigarette to his lips for a long drag. Silently he follows the two young women, not yet wanting them to be aware of his presence.

"Where have you been?" asks Xander, hands placed firmly on hips. "I have been waiting by the phone thinking something horrible had happened! The pizza has gotten cold!"

Buffy and Dawn grin at each other.

"Sorry mom!" they sing-song in unison. They step into the apartment and shed their jackets. 

"Now hang those up, don't let them fall on the floor in a heap and get all wrinkly!" Xander admonishes as he heads into the kitchen to heat up the pizza.

Buffy and Dawn roll their eyes at his back and throw their jackets on the back of a chair where they proceed to make a slow slide down to the ground eventually ending up in wrinkly heap.

The two sisters head to the kitchen and pull out plates and cups for dinner. The three of them began having dinner together almost every night after Willow went to England to recover. Sometimes they go to Buffy's house and sometimes they go to Xander's apartment. Usually someone cooks, but on Friday nights like this one it is a tradition to order pizza. Dawn and Buffy set the table and Xander brings the now steaming pizza out of the oven. He places it on the table and they all grab a slice.

"Anya's not coming tonight?" Dawn asks around a mouthful of gooey cheese.

Xander and Anya haven't reconciled yet, but their relationship is progressing. The vengeance demon does join them occasionally, but she is still trying to forgive Xander for leaving her at the altar. He is still trying to forgive her for sleeping with Spike. Buffy is still trying to forgive her for sleeping with Spike. Dawn just hopes Anya won't get all vengeance-y on Xander. 

"No, she had to do some inventory at the Magic Box; she's trying to get everything in order for the grand re-opening," Xander replies. "The construction guys I sent over there just finished repairing everything a couple of days ago, so she's restocking the shelves."

"Oh yeah, that's right, she asked me to come by tomorrow to do some more hard labor so I can repay my debt to society," Dawn jokes.

Buffy and Xander look uncomfortable at this statement, but Dawn just tells them to lighten up. She knows what she did was wrong, and she and Anya have come to an understanding about everything Dawn did. They have actually become very close and Dawn often asks Anya for advice, as long as it isn't about boys.

"So Buffster, what's with the lateness?" Xander asks pointedly.

Buffy throws her napkin at him.

"Hey, not my fault," she says. "Talk to Dawn 'Vamp-tackling' Summers over there. She felt the need to do a quick patrol before we came over."

Dawn throws her napkin at Buffy.

"Right, I'm the one that said _I_ need more practice."

"Ladies, ladies, do I need to get between you two?" Xander asks with a gleam in his eye. He stands and brings the empty plates and pizza box into the kitchen. On his way back out, Dawn grabs his waist and brings him to the floor tickling him mercilessly. Buffy stands by laughing until Dawn grabs her and brings her down too, so she and Xander can attack Buffy. After the tickle fight, the three flop on the couch to watch movies.

"Mmmmmmm," Dawn moans. "Vin Diesel can take me for a ride anytime. Paul Walker too. But Vin is just soo sexy with that voice."

"Oh yeah," says Buffy, also caught up in the salty goodness of the men from _The Fast and the Furious_. Then she processes what her little sister has just said.

"Wait what did you just say? Vin can take you for a ride? No way girly girl. He's probably some demon that eats innocent little girls." 

"He can eat me too," Dawn says, quirking her eyebrow at Buffy.

Xander covers his ears and blushes bright red.

"LA LA LA LA LA LA LA NOT HEARING DAWN MAKE SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS LA LA!!!!" He gets up and goes into the kitchen to make some popcorn loudly.

Buffy pauses the movie and turns to Dawn.

"Dawn..."

But Dawn puts a hand up to stop her sister.

"Look Buffy, Mom already had 'the talk' with me a few months before she died. My precious virtue will remain intact, but just remember this, I'm going to be 16 in a few weeks and when you were that age..." Dawn trails off.

"I already had a 240 year old cradle robbing boyfriend that I slept with on my 17th birthday, I know, but I don't want you to end up like me." Buffy reaches out and puts her arm around Dawn.

"Buffy, I promise I'll be careful, but if I fall in love with someone, I'll have to make my own decisions, just like you did." Dawn hugs her older sister. "Now un-pause the movie so we can drool over Vin some more."

"No problem, he is totally hot." 

The two sisters curl up on the couch and let Xander squeeze in between them when he returns with the popcorn. The three of them watch movies and giggle late into the night, completely oblivious to the eyes watching their every move.

Dawn wakes in a cold sweat. She sits straight up in bed and hugs a pillow to her chest. For the past couple of weeks she's been having a recurring nightmare about Spike. He is in a dark place, fighting a man who has fire coming from his hands. Later, he is badly burned, but still alive and there are bugs crawling all over him, even up his nose and into his mouth. Finally Dawn sees him with a bright golden light coming from his eyes, but it looks as if he is screaming in agony. This is when she wakes. She misses him terribly. She knows that he was sorry for what he did to her sister when he slept with Anya, but she doesn't know if he's sorry for attempting to rape her sister. She doesn't know why he would try to rape Buffy if he loved her, but she is angry that he would try. She is angry with herself for missing him, but it doesn't stop her from doing so. She gets out of bed and dresses silently. She takes Spike's duster out of it's hiding place in her closet and slips it on. She has done this every night since she started dreaming about him. Opening her window, Dawn slides out onto the roof and climbs down to the ground. She stalks off to the cemetery, feeling the need to dust a few vampires. She pats down the pockets of the duster feeling for Spike's cigarettes and lighter, swearing softly when she doesn't find them.

"Damn."

She then remembers putting them in the breast pocket of the coat, and pulls out the pack only to realize that there is only one cigarette left. She hates smoking them, but it makes her feel as if Spike is nearby. And right now that's what matters the most.

Dawn lights the cigarette and takes a small puff, only to begin a coughing fit. She doubles over as her eyes begin to water, but she catches a glance of something out of the corner of her eye. Wiping quickly at her eyes, Dawn goes into a fighting stance. The fledgling is hungry but quick, and he throws a right hook into Dawn's face. Dawn doges the blow, swoops the vamps legs from underneath him with a swift roundhouse kick, and goes in for the kill. The vampire, however, has other ideas and rolls to the side when she goes to stake him. He quickly gets to his feet again, leaping to kick Dawn in the temple. Her head snaps back from the blow, and she falls hard to the ground. The vampire crouches down, fangs bared, but before he can pierce Dawn's skin, he is staked in the back.

Spike kneels down and caresses Dawn's face. He scoops her up in his arms and carries her back to 1630 Revello Drive. He climbs up on the roof and climbs carefully in Dawn's window, shielding her head so it won't get bumped again. Gently placing Dawn on her bed, Spike brushes the hair back from her face. Her eyes flutter open, but shut again quickly as she softly moans Spike's name. A shudder runs through the vampire's newly acquired soul, and he leans down to brush a quick kiss on Dawn's cheek before he leaps out the window. As he hits the ground, his sensitive ears pick up the sound of Dawn's voice once again.

"Come back to me Spike." 


End file.
